SKIRMISHER

The insect-like robot was developed to detect mercury poisoning in the ground and leaps from place to place the way fleas or frogs jump.

The robot measures 10cm long and weighs 80g and can fit easily in the palm of your hand, as shown above. The inventors debuted the pollution-seeking robot in Switzerland during a symposium.

“In developing the robot we focused on the way fleas and frogs jump. Robots like these are far more efficient than larger ones in scouring vast areas of land in a shorter time,” explained Umberto Scarfogliero of the University of Lucca.

“We are now equipping these with special mercury-deteting sensors and will send them out to locate sources of pollution,” he added.

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